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Biography of Prof. Hamidullah Farooqi, Chancellor of Kabul University and Advisor Minister to the President

Professor Hamidullah Farooqi, an economist and political activist, has been appointed the Chancellor of Kabul University on 4th Aug 2016, and Advisor Minister to President Ashraf Ghanifor Higher Education on 11th Aug 2016.Son of the late Habibullah Farooqi, Prof. Hamidullah Farooqi was born in 1954 in an educated and intellectual family in Herat Province. He received his BA in National Economyfrom Kabul University in 1976, and MA in Economics from Queens College, City University of New York, in 1995.

After the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, he resigned from public service and instead turned to private business. Eventually, like many other Afghans, Prof. Farooqi was forced to migrate to Pakistan and later the United States of America as a consequence of supporting the Afghan resistance to the Soviet invasion.

Professor Farooqi returned from exile to his home after the fall of the Taliban and formation of the Afghan Interim Government in 2002. He joined the Economics Faculty of Kabul University as an academic lecturerin 2003 and since then has been part of the prestigious educational body of the country. Since his return to Afghanistan, Prof. Farooqi has established private schools and universities, business communities and private sector institutions, Academic Institutions and associations, and Social Councils.

He has writtenmany academic articles published in national and international academic journals and publications mainly about economy and politics. He has actively participated in many national, regional, and international conferences, seminars, and other events representing Afghanistan.

He has played an active role in peace conferences and national events. In recent years, besides his occupation as a professor, he has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce (AICC), Chairman of Board of Directors of Bank-e-Millie Afghan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Khana-e-Noor Private Schools and University, Elected President of Logar Province People’s Council, Elected Chairman and member of the academic association of Breshna Think Tank.

After getting the vote of confidence from the parliament of Afghanistan in March 2009, he was inducted to the cabinet as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan.

In his recent national engagements, Prof. Hamidullah Farooqi hasled the Oversight Commission for Ministry of Defense Logistic Contracts that was based on aPresidential Decree. In addition to that, Prof. Farooqi has led several reforming agendas of the National Unity Government namely as High Delegation for Comprehensive Evaluation and Reform of Herat Province, Kabul Bank Case Evaluation,Reduction of Parallel Administrations in Sectorial Ministries, and several other national and public events.

Prof. Farooqi is married and has four children. He is a fluent speaker and writer in Pashto, Dari, and English languages.